How Poisonous Are Pesticides
This is a summary of the toxicity of certain insecticides to test animals (usually the white rat) based on the amount of chemical that would need to be eaten at one time to cause death.
| Insecticide | Acute oral LD50 to rats (mg/kg) |
Approximate ingested lethal dose for humans (concentrated chemical) |
|---|---|---|
| aldicarb (Temik) | 0.93 | |
| Disyston | 2.7 | |
| oxamyl (Vydate) | 4.7 | 1/70 to 1/5 teaspoonful |
| fenaminphos (Nemacur) | 8 | |
| abamectin (Avert) | 10 | |
| azinphosmethyl (Guthion) | 11-13 | |
| methomyl (Lannate) | 17 | |
| endothall | 38-51 | 1/5 to ½ teaspoonful |
| dichlorvos (DDVP or Vapona) | 50 | |
| nicotine | 50-60 | |
| bifenthrin (Talstar) | 55 | |
| Metasystox R | 65-75 | ½ to 1-1/2 teaspoonfuls |
| lambda-Cyhalothrin(Scimitar, Demand) | 79 | |
| chlorpyrifos (Dursban) | 97-276 | 1-1/2 to 3 teaspoonfuls |
| fipronil | 100 | |
| endosulfan (Thiodan) | 100 | |
| Rotenone | 132-1500 | |
| trichlorfon (Dylox) | 144 | |
| imidan | 216 | |
| cypermethrin (Cynoff, Demon, ) | 247-250 | |
| 2,4-D | 375 | |
| Diazinon (Knox-out) | 300-400 | |
| naled (Dibrom) | 430 | |
| imidacloprid (Merit) | 450 | 3 to 9 teaspoonfuls |
| cyfluthrin (Tempo) | 500 | |
| carbaryl (Sevin) | 540-800 | |
| MSMA | 700 | |
| acephate (Orthene) | 866-945 | |
| pendimethalin | 1050 | |
| malathion | 1500 | |
| propiconazole (Banner) | 1517 | |
| DEET (Off) | 2000 | |
| oxythioquinox (Morestan) | 2500 | |
| permethrin (Dragnet, Flee) | 430-4000 | ¼ to 1 cup |
| glyphosate (Roundup) | 5600 | |
| dithiopyr (Dimension) | >5000 | |
| Resmethrin | 715-10,200 | 1-1/2 to over 3 cups |
| chlorothalonil (Daconil) | >10,000 | |
| fosamine ammonium (Krenite) | 24,000 |
For more information, please call the Pesticide Management Program at (860) 424-3369 or email the deep.pesticideprogram@ct.gov or write to:
Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
Bureau of Materials Management and Compliance Assurance
Pesticide Management Program
79 Elm Street
Hartford, CT 06106-5127
Content Last Updated on November 29, 2011